Texas Rangers Blog

Observation Central

Random observations from the Texas Rangers’ 1-0 win against Arizona on Wednesday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington:

+ This was the Rangers’ second 1-0 win of the season. They are the only American League team with multiple 1-0 victories. Boston, Kansas City, Oakland, Seattle and Tampa Bay are the only other AL clubs with a single 1-0 victory.

+ The Rangers have scored two runs or fewer in seven of the last 12 games. The “consistency” that manager Ron Washington says he is looking for from the offense is not happening.

This was the club’s only victory in the last 12 games when scoring two runs or fewer, but Washington said he is comfortable with his club in low-scoring games.

“That’s a baseball team,” Washington said. “It only took one run, one hit in the right situation.”

For the season, the Rangers are 3-11 when scoring two runs or fewer.

+ LHP Matt Harrison is growing up before the Rangers’ eyes. He had his fifth consecutive quality start, working 7 1/3 innings. Harrison has 16 1/3 scoreless innings in his last two starts. In those games, against San Francisco and Arizona, he has allowed only one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

+ Mike Napoli may be ready to explode.

Napoli started the game-winning rally by forcing the only walk Arizona LHP Wade Miley allowed in 7 2/3 innings. Napoli had the plate discipline and the awareness to take a full-count curveball for a walk.

Napoli’s calling card is power, but walks are a big part of his game, too. When Napoli draws walks, it signals a confident approach at the plate. Napoli has taken eight walks in his last 10 games.

+ Josh Hamilton had a single in three at-bats but still looked undisciplined at the plate, chasing pitches out of the zone. Hamilton has only one home run and five RBIs in his last 48 at-bats.